Weight has never been something that I wanted to talked about openly. In recent years I have learned that I NEED to talk about it openly in order to fully understand that I have a weight problem. I eat…all….the….time. I could be happy, sad, mad, glad, pissed or having the best day of my life and I still would find a reason to eat. As a substance abuse therapist I pride myself on helping my clients find the “root cause” of the dependence issues. I have always believed their substance abuse wasn’t their problem but an outcome of something that they had never dealt with (ie: PTSD, childhood abuse, depression). I have racked my brain thinking about what could have lead me down this path of self-destruction and yet I continue to be stumped by this. Is it genetics? Maybe, both sides of my family have had weight issues here and there and it was always easy for me to place blame on genetics. Is it depression? Maybe, life isn’t easy and as a thirty something year old adult there is plenty to be depressed about, bills, bills and more bills. Again it’s easy to place blame on depression, but in the end, the fight I have had for the last 32 years is one against myself. In May of 2013 I had just returned from England. I was the heaviest I had ever been, depressed, stuffed into my clothes and exhausted all the time. I had an open conversation with my doctor about my weight and after sobbing for 20 minutes in her office she asked me openly how far was I willing to go to get my weight under control. As a therapist it’s easy for me to see which direction my clients need to be guided into, but now the tables had turned and I was in the hot seat. I blurted out that I would do anything except surgery, I wasn’t ready for that conversations yet. I had been successful in the past with healthy eating and exercise but struggled to stay motivated. I had been on weight watchers for going on 2 years and had stalled out on making any progress.

My doctor told me about a prescription medication called Adipex. It is a medication that help curb your appetite and also boots your energy level. My doctor set me up for a 12 week trial of the medication and indicated that I would have to come back each month for follow up to ensure that the side effects weren’t interfering with my life as well as to help keep me on track. After 12 weeks on the medications, beefing up my exercise routine and eating healthy I lost 22 pounds. I was floored! I felt amazing, my clothes were baggy and my energy level was so high that I often found myself cleaning my house at 10pm to just burn off the excess! I went back to the doctor after 12 weeks and together we came up with a plan for the future. I ended up doing another 12 week trial this past January and lost another 28 pounds! My doctor then told me about a new medication called Belviq. It’s similar to Adipex but a long term medication that helps control your appetite and also gives your energy a boost. I have officially lost 52 pounds and continue to work hard each day. To celebrate my success I recently purchased a treadmill (no more excuses for missing the gym!). I am blessed to have coworkers to push me and help me stay motivated. This year we have competed in the 5k Cheetah Chase walk. I placed 17th in my age group. My coworkers and I are planning on doing the Corporate Cup 5K and the Alive and Running VA 5K this year. I am also thankful to have a husband who was so inspired by my journey that he joined weight watchers as well and has lost 30 pounds so far. In total, I have lost 52 pounds, 4 pant sizes, a shirt size, many inches all over my body and gained a brand new perspective on life, love and happiness. “Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip toe if you must but take the step.” Katie Butler

Being overweight can bring a lot of unpleasant feelings and situations. I remember my confusion when I couldn't sit normally on regular bus sit. Then I realised it's time to work on. So, I do understand you. By the way, I got 10 kg weigh loss in 1,5 months.